“Shatashloki” of Shrimad Shankaracharya – III (Shloka – 3)
The Outline of Spiritual Journey

Shloka – 3

Translation of Shloka – 3

When we examine the questions, ‘What is Truth?” and “What is Untruth?, we begin to understand the difference between “Atman” and “Anatman (not Atman).” After this process, we start understanding the nature of Brahman by “Having direct experience” and “through reasoning’, the two methods described in the scriptures. Later on we realize the truth; First as “I am Brahman” and then as “Everything is Brahman”.  The first realization, “I am Brahman,” comes with reference to the body and the second realization, “Everything is Brahman,” comes from the experience that Atman resides in all and in everything.

Comments:

In this shloka, an outline of the entire spiritual journey of realizing the Ultimate Truth of ourselves and of the universe has been given.

The First Step – Analyze and Reflect

Sri Ramakrishna said that along with our daily prayers we have to go often into a solitary place and think about what is permanent and what is not permanent. Truth is permanent and untruth is not permanent. We can first find out what is not permanent. The body and mind are not permanent. They are born and they die. The world is not permanent. It has a beginning and therefore it has an end. Whatever we perceive through our senses has a beginning and has an end. But, behind our body and mind and behind this universe, there seems to be a permanent entity in reference to which we perceive all changes. One has to realize that the goal of life is to know what is permanent in us and behind the universe. Conviction in this goal is the first step in the spiritual path. Without this conviction, we actually have not yet started our spiritual journey, and all our spiritual practices, rituals, and ceremonies just become the preparation for this journey.

The Second Step – Spiritual Practices

With the firm resolve to attain the above-mentioned goal, we must start doing all our spiritual practices. For the people who follow Jnana Yoga (the Path of Knowledge), the spiritual practices will include: studying or listening to the scriptures from knowledgeable people and reflecting upon their teachings, using reasoning and analysis to understand the real difference between permanent and impermanent, discarding the impermanent and making efforts to realize what is permanent. In this shloka, the path of knowledge has been indicated. One can also practice Bhakti Yoga (the Path of Devotion), Karma Yoga (the Path of Unselfish Service), and Raja Yoga (the Path of Self-control and Meditation).

By practicing one or more Yogas simultaneously, we must realize Brahman, the Ultimate Reality, the permanent support of our existence and of the universe.

The First Realization:

According to this shloka, through spiritual practices, the first realization that comes is that behind this body and mind there is an “Atman” which is permanent. Its nature is Sat-Chit-Ananda, (Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute). It is the support of our existence. It illumines our intellect, and through our intellect, we become aware of our Self and the universe. It is the source of all our happiness.

As a part of our spiritual journey, we realize that there are five layers which cover this Atman: (1) Annamaya Kosha – a layer of the physical body which is nourished by food and grows by food. It is made of bones, flesh, blood, and other such things. (2) Pranamaya Kosha – a layer of vital forces which help us to function. (3) Manomaya Kosha – a layer of our desires, imaginations, and emotions.  (4) Vijnanamaya Kosha – a layer of the subtle part of the mind which reasons and analyzes. (5) Anandamaya Kosha – a layer of sattvika joy (the joy of doing the right things). When we go beyond these five layers, then we realize that our ‘true identity’ is not our body and mind, but pure consciousness which we call “Atman’. This Atman was not born and does not die. The birth of a person is the birth of his/her body and mind. We realize that the nature of Atman, as described before, is Sat-Chit-Anand. This realization is related to our body and mind. We realize that if we remove our name and form, then what remains is Atman.

The Second Realization: After continuing spiritual practices, we realize that the Atman in me and Atman in another person are not different. When we remove name and form of each being, then what remains is Atman, the Pure Consciousness. Further, if we remove name and form of anything in the universe, then what remains is only Pure Consciousness. We also realize that the whole universe came from Pure Consciousness. It is Pure Consciousness which appears as varieties of things because of name and form. Ultimately the universe merges into Pure Consciousness. We call this Pure Consciousness, “Brahman”.

We also realize that the Pure Consciousness behind oneself and the Pure Consciousness behind the whole universe are same. We can think of the pot analogy to understand this. Various pots are lying in an ocean. Each pot has ocean water inside. All the characteristics of the water inside the pots and the water outside the pots are same. When a pot breaks, the water inside the pot merges with the ocean water. Another analogy is that of the reflections of the sun in pots filled with water. The sun represents Brahman and its reflection represents Atman. When the pot breaks, then the reflection merges with the sun itself.

Sri Ramakrishna has explained these stages of understanding for God-realization with simple examples. He said that there are those who have heard about milk, those who have seen milk, those who have touched milk and those who have drunk the milk and got nourished by it. Thus, there are people who have just heard about God. Then, there are people who have felt the presence of God within. Further, there are people who have an intimate relationship with God, meaning they see God in everything and feel that they are always living with God. Their minds are filled with bliss. Their words become scriptures. They show humanity that one can keep one’s mind on God and live in this world, leading a normal life. Their minds remain calm in the pairs of opposites like joy and sorrow, success and failure, favorable and unfavorable situations, honor and insult, dealings with friends and foes, etc. They inspire people to realize God or Atman or Brahman and attain their God-consciousness state.

Sri Ramakrishna realized God within with his eyes closed and then without with his eyes open. He saw that God has become everything. He encouraged his disciples to realize God within and then to see God in all, and to serve all as a worship to God.

(Thanks to Nisha Parikh for editing this post.)